Traditionalism
Traditionalism is a religion in the world of XYN, and is widely practiced by the people of Dozei and the rest of the world. Traditionalism is the dominant religion in the world of XYN, and most people practice it. The only religions that come close are Communism and Spiritualism. Traditionalists believe that the world was created by a god with five heads or "faces" that represent different aspects of the same being. The god originally had six faces, but the sixth, Lunega, was cast away into the Void after creating the Dark Behemoth, the only behemoth to be sentient. This behemoth went on to create the IZ, and as such Lunega became the Satan figure of Traditionalism. Beliefs The creeds of Traditionalism are expressed in three central main tenets: Live with a pure soul, a healthy mind, and a strong body. Each of these can be broken down into individual statements and expressed as simple directions on how to live. Live with a soul that is unfettered by temptation and corruption. Live with a healthy mind free of worries and suffering. Live with a strong body to work for others and to defend them. Beyond that, the five faces provide a self-contained pantheon of gods that correspond to different aspects of the world and life in general. Otar, the face of Fire, rules over violent emotions and the arts. He also rules over love, and people pray to him for advice in romance. Etrix, the face of Water, rules over calm emotions and logic. She also rules over matters related to the ocean and food and drink. People pray to her in moral dilemnas and when they need a good harvest. Neyr, the face of Earth, rules over death and war. In war, people pray to Neyr for luck in battle, and for their soul to be light as they pass down into the earth. Ithys, the face of Wind, rules over travel and fortune. It is said that "luck passes like Ithys", referring to fate being whimsical and fleeting. When people have to travel a great distance, they pray to Ithys to put the wind at their backs. She also rules over the weather, and when bad weather comes over the horizon, it is said that "Ithys is having a tantrum". She is depicted as fickle and very difficult to understand. Arbris, the face of Metal, rules over stories and finances. Law is also within Arbris's domain. It is said that whatever is recorded goes by Arbris's will. Scripture says that Arbris is the one that gave humanity writing and science, and it is by his grace that humanity has free will. It is a common superstition that something recorded in metal will last one thousand years, but in the modern age this superstition has fallen, since metal has come into everyday use in the hands of the common man. When people die, according to the Traditionalist religion, they pass into the core of the earth and are judged by the weight of their souls, weighed against the heart of Lunega, which was ripped out when he was pushed into the Void. If their soul is lighter, they pass onto the Records, where their actions are put into the great records of the universe and recorded forever, and they can rest in peace. If their soul is heavier, they are cast into the pits below the Records, where it is said that they must toil for a thousand years, writing the records of others until they have repented for their actions. It is said that having to record the deeds of those better than you is the ultimate suffering. Worship In ancient times, wise men would tell stories of "The Before Time" when the Five-Headed God was still creating the universe. In these stories, several characters populated the world before time, such as Aros, the traditional hero character, or Hyesis, the trickster character. Most of the stories involved Hyesis committing some wrong-doing, and Aros having to fix the problem, learning a moral lesson in the meantime. The wise men would tell these stories, and as time went on, the stories evolved in several ways. There were stories that you told to children, and stories that you told to adults. Some of the stories that are told to adults involved Aro's life after marriage to Bephion, the "Eve" figure. As the stories go, Lunega betrayed humanity, and Aros had to destroy him. The stories told to adults take a darker tone, and involve more complicated themes, often dipping into philosophical quandries or questions. In the modern era, these stories are still told in public forums as tradition dictates, but a much more common way of going to worship these days is watching a special channel on the aethervision. Stories were typically told in the morning and just before sundown, and most worshippers tune in around these times to worship instead of going out to the forum. However, viewership of this channel has gone way down since the schism of Communism from Traditionalism, as people are starting to call into question the basic tenets of Traditionalism. History Traditionalism has its historical origins in a cult in the time just before the first Emperor, who questioned the relevance of the shamanistic Spiritualism religion. Since spirits were a real thing in the world, some doubted the reliability of teaching moral lessons to children about spirits when a spirit could easily come and contradict whatever they said. So, the cult members conspired to gather pieces of legend and hearsay into an organized religion, and it seemed to materialize in its current form some time around the time of the second Emperor. However, records beyond that become foggy as the government has destroyed or altered them to create the illusion that "it was always like this." In reality, most of the legends behind Traditionalism are completely true. The Five-Headed God was real, and was an Elenian who came to Pyria and helped uplift humans from the primitive existence they were at the time. He enhanced a couple of them to be his helper, two of them being Aros and Hyesis. When Lunega created the dark behemoth without the rest of the Five-Headed God's agreement, Aros was given divine powers and sent to destroy him. He did not succeed, but Aros managed to throw him into the Void for all eternity. As a reward, the Five-Headed God split Aros's soul and put it into a protected place, giving Aros immortality to watch over humanity until it no longer needed him. This made Aros the first Whiteblood, as well as the first R3. In modern days, Traditionalism has undergone a schism in the past ten years, where the twenty-fifth Matriarch (a figure similar to the Pope), Claire Estenwald, posted ninety-five objections on the ninety-five pillars of the Great Forum of Dozei, the greatest forum in the country. Each of these objections questioned either a moral failing of the church (such as "donating" to the forum leader's personal funds to ensure that he declares you to have a healthy mind) or a contradiction in the basic tenets of the church. After doing this, she left with several like-minded followers to form Communism. Ever since, Dozei has sent hundreds of "diplomats" to destroy her and her so-called "cult". Site NavigationCategory:XYN Category:XYN Category:Plot Point